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Cable and X-Force #5 – Review

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Matt Sargeson

CABLE AND X-FORCE #5

By: Dennis Hopeless (Writer), Salvador Larocca (Artist), Frank D’Armata (Colorist), VC’s Joe Sabino (Letterer)

Review: Much like I did with X-Men Legacy a while back, I caught up with Cable and X-Force by inhaling issues #1-5 in one sitting. The effect was akin to turning up late to an ice-cream party to find that the only flavor left is Peanut Butter Crunch and you’ve got to chug 5 scoops immediately in order to catch up with everyone else. Oh, and you’re allergic to peanuts. And you’re lactose intolerant. Come to think of it, why the smeg did you agree to this ice-cream party in the first place? What the hell is an Ice Cream party!? A more pertinent question: why have I spent $19.95 of my hard-earned Earth Dollars on Cable and X-Force? Because I’m an idiot, that’s why; no dodging the bullet on that one.
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Cable and X-Force #1–Review

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Roman Colombo

CABLE AND X-FORCE #1

By: Dennis Hopeless (writer), Salvador Larroca (Art), and Frank D’Armata (colors)

The Story: Cable is back, and the first thing he does is make himself and his teammates fugitives. Way to go, Nate.

The Review: Vibrant art, vibrant writing. That’s the best way to describe Cable and X-Force. There is a lot of dynamic here that Larroca, Hopeless, and D’Armata bring to the comic, but this doesn’t mean that it’s a perfect book. The best comparison is the new Thunderbolts. Both books are about how the team comes together, but the difference is in the execution. This incarnation of X-Force is partly chance and partly planned. Cable  needs Forge and Dr. Nemesis, so he recruits them. But Domino and Hope arrive by other means…and Colossus’s role is not yet defined. This works well. It shows a team becoming something rather than Cable sipping tea in France watching Domino kill mimes (or whatever the hell that scene was in Thunderbolts with Deadpool). There’s a progression and a purpose. The problem is, the first issue doesn’t give us an idea of what that purpose is. We see them all on the run, not able to explain a lot of dead bodies to Havok and the rest of the Uncanny X-Force, and they have matching uniforms. They become a team–but why? This could be just a casualty of “writing for the trade.” But it didn’t leave me anxious for the next issue.Hopeless is good with the individual characters, developing them and letting us get to know them, but the plot is weak.
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X-Men #21 – Review

Posted on November 16, 2011 by DS Arsenault

By: Victor Gischler (writer), Will Conrad (artist), Chris Sotomayor (colorist)

The Story: Storm and Colossus sort out their differences with War Machine, as circumstances shift. There is stuff afoot in Puternicstan. But, will they be able to save Domino?

The Review: I don’t recall having seen Will Conrad’s work before, but I love it. His Colossus is powerful, big and intimidating. His War Machine is efficient and professional. His Storm is smart and attractive. Moreover, the Eastern European world of ex-Soviet countries is evocative and even the weather does its job with him at the pen (check out War Machine and Colossus surprised by the war jets for what I’m saying about moody weather). The colors are equally clean, evocative, and fall into narrow palettes in the half-light and darkness that pervades most of this issue. Check out the color scope when the covert team gets a little too much company. The blue shades, purples and grays blend beautifully and that kind of color subtly is at play throughout the issue.
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X-Force: Sex + Violence (Graphic Novel Review)

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Roman Colombo


Written by Criag Kyle and Christopher Yost, Art by Gabrielle Dell’Otto

I rarely start with price, and even more so, I never recommend a book that the price costs more than the individual issues (like the Siege hardcover edition)…but in this case, I have to change my stance. Sure, Sex + Violence is only a three issues long, making the cover price total only 11.97, and the hardcover is priced at 19.99 (it also includes the New X-Men Annual 2001 by Grant Morrison), which seems like a pretty big hike, and it is. But it’s worth it. It’s actually an oversized hardcover, which is no less than Gabrielle Dell’Otto deserves. And let’s be honest, that’s what we’re paying for.

Sex + Violence was first announced at the 2009 New York Comic Con, but wasn’t released until August 2010, after Second Coming ended along with Kyle and Yost’s phenomenal run on X-Force. In fact, the story takes place closer to the beginning of their run. Whatever the reasons were for the exceedingly long delay, it was worth it. The concept is simple–Domino and Wolverine kill a lot of people and have crazy sex between the slaughters. Seems that Domino somehow managed to really piss off the Assassin’s Guild…something about a shit-ton of money and Russian girls. Who cares, it’s a Macguffin and the best kind–the kind that gives us, well, sex and violence. But it’s also not just cool for the sake of cool (okay, these are superhero comics, I guess it’s all cool for the sake of cool in the end, but that’s beside the point). Kyle and Yost aren’t just going “hey, look how edgy we can be!” All of the sex, all of the violence, works to highlight the story. By the time X-Force joins in for backup at the end (in one of the most glorious double page spreads in the history of comics), it’s quite clear–for this superhero team, sex and violence are hardly two separate things. Especially for Domino and Wolverine.
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X-Force: Sex and Violence #1 – Review

Posted on July 14, 2010 by joelopez101

by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost (writers), Gabriele Dell’Otto (artist)

The Story: Domino, like most, had a past before the X-Men.  And in that past, she just might have done a job for the infamous Assassins’ Guild.  And that job just might have had something to do with the also infamous Hand ninja clan.  She might also have broken her contract and left them both to kill each other.  So now Wolverine gets swept up in Domino’s past problems as they become present ones when the Guild returns for payback.  Did we forget to mention that there might be something about some money, because Domino sure did.  Oh, and Wolverine and Domino totally want to do each other.

What’s Good (and it’s all good): Kyle and Yost tell an enjoyable romp of a tale and the enjoyment they must have had writing it is infectious.  I particularly enjoyed the speed with which the reader is thrust into the plot.  Before you’re even sure what’s going on, you’re in a filthy bathroom as a bloodied, stabbed and bullet-ridden Domino is spitting teeth into the sink.  Blink once and we’re privy to how exactly our femme fatale got into this sticky predicament.  Blink twice and Wolverine and Domino are engaged in the bloodiest battle  San Francisco’s seen since, well, the last issue of Wolverine: Weapon X probably, but you get the picture.  Blink thrice and our two heroes are getting it on!  This is definitely a miniseries that’s more in the vein of a film like Crank, where the creators invite you to turn off your brain and just enjoy the insanely violent and sexy ride without too much thought.  The trick about making those types of stories work is that they must, above all else, be fun.  Kyle and Yost know this and they inject the beginnings of what looks to be a whole truckload of fun into this first issue with a few twists in the plot for added zing.
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Deapool #17 – Review

Posted on November 13, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

The Story: Cyclops sends Domino to do what she can to keep Deadpool from killing Mr. Kincaid. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn relishes watching the mutant’s situation and does what he can to make it even worse.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: I didn’t really mind seeing Deadpool take a back seat to the X-Men last month because of the type of story Daniel Way is telling with “Want You To Want Me.” Way had to set up the situation with Mr. Kincaid and the X-Men, so it made sense to use Deadpool as an obstacle rather than the main character. That same approach doesn’t really work as well in Deadpool #17. While the comic is certainly funny (when Domino comes face to face with her biggest fear, I literally laughed out loud) and Deadpool flavored (Way’s ‘pool dialogue is as humorous as always), the X-Men just simply aren’t as entertaining as Deadpool is. Sure it’s fun to see some of them dragged down to his level and the Norman Osborn stuff is unexpectedly clever, but, as a whole, Deadpool #17 is more entertainingly solid than memorably good.

Simply put, the idea behind the current Deadpool arc is far better than the way it is being executed. Deadpool as walking potential PR disaster for the mutants is a funny, clever way to use the character in a way that fits really well within current Marvel continuity. Instead of focusing on the way Deadpool navigates the situation, however, Way chooses to focus on how the X-Men and Osborn react and deal with Wade Wilson. That is fine and dandy to a point, but when I pick up a Deadpool book I do it to read a story mostly about Deadpool, not the X-Men or Norman Osborn (both the X-Men and Osborn have enough books anyway…Deadpool has just recently started to catch up).

As expected, Deadpool #17 is one slick looking book. Paco Medina and his team do a fine job telling the story and their character work is really strong (thought the focus on Domino’s body is quite obnoxious). While some of the exaggerated expressions are a bit much and a few panels look rushed, as a whole, I’m really happy with the artwork throughout the latest issue of Deadpool.

Conclusion: A little more Deadpool would have gone a long way towards making Deadpool #17 a better comic book. While it’s far from bad, Deadpool #17 isn’t as strong as some of the other issues of Deadpool.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

 

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Deadpool #16 – Review

Posted on October 10, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Given how the recent “X” crossovers have turned out, I’m a bit concerned about what’s going to happen to Deadpool now that Wade is headed towards becoming one of the X-Men. Now, granted, I do realize that the Deadpool “X” arc isn’t a true crossover so it might not be such a bad thing for the series. One thing’s for sure though: If any series can enter X-Men territory and come out unscathed, it’s Deadpool.

The Story: After initially getting rejected by the X-Men, Deadpool finds himself being cautiously welcomed back by the mutants. Meanwhile, the X-Men deal with a strange media circus that’s being caused by a young mutant’s father.

What’s Good: I hope this makes sense…Deadpool #16 is, in reality, only half of a Deadpool comic. The other half is an X-Men comic that Daniel Way wrote with his Deadpool pen. Is that a bad thing? Surprisingly, it’s not.

As expected, humor is a large part of what makes Deadpool #16 such an entertaining book. While the story is certainly strong enough to move things along (especially in regards to the Domino and Dagger scenes), there’s no question that bringing the funny is what Way does best when it comes to his Deadpool series. Way gives the X-Men humorous dialogue whenever Wade is somehow involved in their conversations and uses the mutants in a way that makes Deadpool come across as far more sympathetic than usual. However, that’s not to say that Wade’s being soften up by Way. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Merc with a Mouth is as unpredictable and crazy as ever throughout Deadpool #16. Case in point: I doubt you’ve ever seen pancakes used in such a way.

Paco Medina is quickly becoming one of my favorite Marvel artists. Since he started on the Deadpool series, I’ve wanted to see what he would do with other characters. Now that I’ve seen him handle the X-Men, I can’t help but wonder why Marvel isn’t putting him on more books. With the help of Juan Vlasco’s inks and Marte Gracia’s vivid colors, Medina’s pencils are stylish, clean and a little sexy, and loaded with the type of personality that needs to be seen more often.

What’s Not So Good: While Deadpool #16 looks great and proves to be extremely entertaining, some of the storytelling is a bit clunky. While the family issue between a mutant and her father that takes up a chunk of the book eventually becomes relevant, it takes up more page space than it’s worth. Also, a scene that meshes Deadpool and Domino’s encounter with Domino’s status report to Cyclops doesn’t really flow all that well. It comes across as far more convoluted and complicated than it should.

Conclusion: Deadpool continues to be one hell of a fun series. If you aren’t reading it than you’re definitely missing out on one of Marvel’s best monthlies.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force #17 – Review

Posted on July 22, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Craig Kyle & Cristopher Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Artists)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The less said about the Messiah War, the better. I still have *shiver* flashbacks from the trenches. So instead of diving into my nightmares, let’s just move forward…

The Story: X-23 attempts to rescue Boom-Boom from the Leper Queen and, as a result, becomes a H.A.M.M.E.R. prisoner.Meanwhile, Rahne Sinclair and Hrimhari are attacked by Frost Giants. Hellion and Surge are helped by Wolverine and Archangel, but Surge can’t seem to control her powers. As for Domino, she arrives back in the present just in time to see…

What’s Good: Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost write the latest issue of X-Force as though the Messiah War never even took place. A good move that I appreciate quite a bit, especially since it allows the writers to hit the ground running at almost the same speed they were traveling before a brick wall (roughly the size of the Great Wall and with the words “Messiah “War” painted on it) got in the way. The story by Kyle and Yost is frantic, violent, and pretty thrilling, just like an X-Force story should be.

I didn’t realize how much I missed the work of Mike Choi and Sonia Oback until now. The artwork in X-Force #17 is sleek, detailed, attractive, clean, and clear. In other words, it looks much better than the work done for the last few issues of the series. A few scenes, like the Frost Giant attack or the final spread, are great to look at and show the range Choi and Oback are capable of.

What’s Not So Good: The only real problem I have with X-Force #17 is that its storyline never really comes together all that well. It’s a bunch of little segments that continue where the series left off months ago, but it never completely stops feeling disjointed and jerky. It brings a bit of closure to the recent past and sets things up for the future, but there just isn’t a whole lot to really chew on as far as story is concerned. Understandable, but not exactly satisfying.

Conclusion: It’s nice to see X-Force get back into the swing of things. Once it settles down a bit, I’m sure the series will regain its spot as one of the best “X” books

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force #16 (Messiah War Chapter 7) – Review

Posted on June 28, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writer), Clayton Crain (Art), and Duane Swierczynski & Ariel Olivetti (Epilogue)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: One… more… comic… Just one more… The Messiah War is almost over…

The Story: The Messiah War comes to a close as everything comes to a head. Apocalypse, followed by Death, seeks to end the age of Stryfe. X-Force tries to figure out how to deal with the time devices. Hope is in peril as Bishop tries to take one final shot…

What’s Good: As you’ve probably guessed, the best thing about X-Force #16 is that it finally brings an end to the Messiah War storyline. That said, if you’ve been enjoying the Messiah War storyline for what it is, you’ll probably find a lot to like about the arc’s conclusion. All the elements of the story come together for one final confrontation as Apocalypse says epic stuff (which is almost fun to read in a “wow this sounds silly” way), putting Stryfe in his place.

What’s Not So Good: I really can’t say what the biggest sin of the Messiah War is without heading into spoiler territory so… SPOILER WARNING!!…  Here’s the biggest sin of the X-Force/ Cable crossover – When it’s all said and done, everything goes back to how it was before the crossover started. Bishop winds up somewhere in the time-stream, Cable winds up somewhere else with Hope, X-Force is back in the present…Seriously…what was the fucking point?!

Alright, so with that complaint out of the way, I can now tell you the other awful thing about X-Force #16: Clayton Crain’s artwork. Dark, muddy, unclear, smeary (didn’t know that was a word until now), and hard to follow. Crain’s work makes a really poor story seem even worse. Look, I generally like Crain’s work. I think his style is a great fit for the X-Force series and when all of his art clicks, it looks incredible. However, the conclusion of the Messiah War is a great example of how horrible things can look when absolutely nothing clicks…

Conclusion: Save your money and skip X-Force #16. Also, do not even consider picking up the Messiah War trade if you have been waiting for that.

Grade: F+

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force #15 (Messiah War Chapter 5) – Review

Posted on May 28, 2009 by pozzyfreak
By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers) and Clayton Crain (Artist)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: The “Messiah War” storyline has been extremely hit or miss. It’s had a few good moments but as a whole, it’s been rather unsatisfying. I’d love for it to find some sort of consistent, quality groove, but at this point, it doesn’t look like it’s going to.
The Story: Bishop, Stryfe, and Warpath fight over a confused Hope as Cable and the others make their way to Stryfe’s place. Meanwhile, Angel confronts Apocalypse….

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: If you’ve been following the “Messiah War” storyline, X-Force #15 is going to feel like a whole lot more of the same. Hope is in danger, Stryfe talks about how powerful he is, Bishop tries (unsuccessfully) to eliminate his target, Cable tries to rescue hope, Deadpool cracks jokes, Angel talks to Apocalypse….you get the point. The entire issue has a “been there, done that” vibe that makes me feel incredibly bored with the whole “Messiah War” thing.

Sure it has a few entertaining character moments, and sure Clayton Crain’s artwork is pretty cool to look at (when it isn’t completely dominated by darkness and grit), but X-Force #15 as a whole really isn’t worth the time it takes to read. You’ve seen pretty much all it has to offer if you’ve picked up an issue of Cable or X-Force in the last few months, so why bother spending the cash for it?

Conclusion: X-Force #15 proves just how flimsy the “Messiah War” story is. While it’s cool to see Stryfe and Apocalypse back in action, don’t let the nostalgia fool you into thinking the “War” is living up to the hype. The wheels are spinning, yes, but the story is going absolutely nowhere…

Grade: D

-Kyle Posluszny

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Cable #14 (Messiah War Chapter 4) – Review

Posted on May 6, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Duane Swierczynski (Writer) and Ariel Olivetti (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve pretty much given up on any hope that Messiah War is going to end up being a truly worthy follow-up to the fantastic Messiah Complex event. While the crossover has been entertaining enough, it lacks the sense of urgency and intensity that made Messiah Complex one of my all time favorite “X” stories. Still, I know I’ll stick with the X-Force/Cable crossover regardless of my disappointment. And that’s because I’m genuinely interested in finding out what direction Hope takes following the War being fought because of her.

The Story: Warpath is stuck in a torture device designed by Stryfe. Hope is a captive of both Bishop and Stryfe. Cable, Deadpool, and most of X-Force try to work out a plan to get inside Stryfe’s citadel. On top of all that, Archangel answers the call and confronts Apocalypse…

What’s Good: I’ve been pretty hard on Duane Swierczynski in the past. Most recently, I thought he really dropped the ball when first handed the reigns of the Messiah War crossover (for chapter two). That said, I give credit where credit is due. And credit is definitely due in this case.

In Cable #14, Swierczynski does a really nice job of ramping up the tension of a storyline that definitely needed one more push to get to the next level. He effectively uses a mix of dialogue and internal monologue to bring out the best in a number of the characters. A few scenes in particular really stand out, like Warpath’s reaction to torture, Archangel’s reunion with Apocalypse, Cable’s battle with remorse, and Bishop’s reaction to the current situation. They feature character moments or bits of information that leave me thinking that the Cable/X-Force crossover might actually be able to overcome it’s rocky start.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, there are two things holding Cable #14 from earning a higher grade. One of them is the artwork by Arial Olivetti. The other has to do with how Hope is handled.

The artwork looks either far too static or, in some cases, downright silly. I understand that it can be difficult to show pain or surprise, but a few of Olivetti’s character shots are just simply hilarious. Two choking scenes are the main offenders, but Warpath’s torture scene doesn’t exactly make a great visual impact either. Sure the device looks nasty, but the results are less than spectacular. I mean it looks as though Warpath is just having a particularly nasty visit to the dentist in one panel.

The problem with Hope (outside of looking really odd) is that she is written in a way that is really inconsistent. She is either sounds too much like an adult or too much like a dumb teenager. It’s like Swierczynski sort of dances around a desirable sweet spot for the character, but never really nails it.

Conclusion: Good, but still not great. That’s the best way to describe both the issue and the crossover that it is involved in. A lot of it works, but enough of it doesn’t to keep it from earning higher than a…

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

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Uncanny X-Men #508 – Review

Posted on April 15, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Greg Land (Pencils), Jay Leisten (Inks), and Justin Ponsor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: It seems like nearly every month I wonder why I continue to purchase Uncanny X-Men. It’s as if I face the same irritations every time I read an issue. The story threads are too chopped up, the artwork is in a divisive style, and the arcs as a whole feel somewhat scattershot. While I don’t find the series to be bad or anything, I’ll be the first to admit that there are better comics I could be spending my money on.

The Story: Madelyn Pryor, Cyclops’ former lover, is back and looking to make good use of a captured “X” character. With the help of Spiral, Chimera, and Lady Deathstrike, she raids a cemetery to get just the body she needs. Meanwhile, Beast introduces the final member of his science team and lays out the current situation of mutantkind. Also, Wolverine does some recruiting and Emma attempts to teach the recently rescued Russian women.

What’s Good: You have to give Matt Fraction credit for being able to successfully cram so much of the “X” universe into one issue without too much confusion. He makes good use of the powers, personalities, and storylines that make up the mutant ‘verse and the series is all the better for it. Even those unfamiliar with the characters (or confused by Greg Land’s artwork) will feel sufficiently in the loop thanks to Fraction’s clever (occasionally annoying) information boxes. I mention that because Uncannny X-Men #508 is definitely juggling a whole hell of a lot at once….

What’s Not So Good: …And, unfortunately, the entire issue suffers because of it. Quite frankly, the whole thing is just incredibly frustrating to read and look at. That said, in truth, I like the storylines in play for the most part. What I don’t like is the way they are being chopped up into tiny little pieces that rarely feel satisfying. While the latest Uncanny moves plot threads forward more successfully than some of the previous issues, every one of them still feels incredibly stunted when left dangling for next month. In other words, from a story perspective I was left wanting more, but more because things felt incomplete and unsatisfying as opposed to them being genuinely compelling. Allow me to share an example…

During one scene, Wolverine learns of something over the phone and reacts by yelling out and unsheathing his claws. The next time we see Wolvie, he’s totally cool with everything and busy doing some recruiting for the team. Now what bothers me is that there was absolutely zero explanation about (or even mention of) his outburst at any other time in the issue. While it’s easy to draw a conclusion to what caused his reaction, there is no reason given in the book for why the reaction was warranted. I presume it is being left for next month, but for the time being I have to react with a big old “WTF?”

Want to know something else that is not so good? The artwork. While I think Uncanny is one of the better fits for Greg Land’s style considering how “talky” it can be, it would be nice to see the work manage to keep things consistent or appropriately detailed for more than a few pages at a time. The inks and colors do little to help matters either, as I think they definitely contribute to the consistency and detailing problems.

Conclusion: Uncanny X-Men #508 scores points for personality and effort, but ultimately winds up being far more frustrating than fun.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

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Cable #13 (Messiah War Chapter 2) – Review

Posted on April 1, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Duane Swierczynski (Writer) and Ariel Olivetti (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Messiah War got off to a solid start last week despite the fact that half of chapter one was spent on recapping the past. Now, with the pieces in place and the main players introduced into the event, I look forward to where the Messiah Complex sequel will go next. Hopefully, it’s somewhere good.

The Story: Much like the first chapter, the second part of Messiah War spends a lot of time going over past events. Only this time, the past events offer up information that’s new, regardless of whether or not the reader has been following X-Force and/or Cable. What that means is that Cable #13 reveals just what future-Deadpool has been up to all these years. Also, the issue reveals how the present future came to be and what is up with the partnership between Stryfe and Bishop.

What’s Good: The Messiah War story continues to hold quite a bit of potential. Thanks to the funny segment featuring Deadpool and the bits of effective narration from Bishop, it’s possible to come up with a fairly clear picture of what type of future the characters are operating in and how it came to be that way. In other words, with the set-up hopefully finally out of the way, it seems as though the X-event can finally start moving forward comfortably.

What’s Not So Good: In my review of the Messiah War one-shot, I expressed concern over how the event would fare in the hands of the Cable creative team. As it turns out, Cable #13 proves that my concern was more than justified. And Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti are both at fault.

With the exception of how Stryfe is written, Duane Swierczynski does a pretty poor job of handling his series’ guest stars. Deadpool comes off way too strong (his comic fan “in jokes” are more annoying than funny), Wolverine’s dialogue is at times, atrocious (asshat?! honestly!?), and I really can’t picture X-23 expressing much concern about how someone feels when such an important mission is going on. Two chapters in, and I’m already starting to think that Marvel should have just let Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle handle the entire event.

As for Ariel Olivetti’s work…well…he uses a very “love it or hate it” style. As a whole I can’t really stand it and as a result, I’m not a fan of the visuals in Cable #13. That said, I will give him credit for an appropriately hideous looking Deadpool and some pretty cool looking scenery.

Conclusion: Cable #13 pretty much justified and made real my fears about what would happen when Swierczynski and Olivetti took the reigns of an interesting story. I look forward to what’s coming next in the Messiah War, but at the same time, not really because of anything that took place in its second chapter. Consider me currently disappointed, but optimistic for the future.

Grade:  C-

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force/Cable: Messiah War One-Shot Review

Posted on March 26, 2009 by pozzyfreak

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The X-event The Messiah Complex was one of the reasons I got back into reading comics. So, needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. That said, I’m not really sure what to expect from it, quality-wise. I really like what Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Mike Choi, and Sonia Oback (along with Clayton Crain) have done with X-Force. However, Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti have left me feeling fairly indifferent towards Cable. While I’ll readily agree that Cable has improved quite a bit since its rocky start, I can’t help but wonder if the crossover will maintain a level of consistency between the different creative teams.

The Story: The Messiah War kicks off with…well… mostly a summary to get readers caught up on the events that have lead to the crossover. Cyclops sends X-Force into the future to help Cable protect Hope, where they run straight into a familiar, unstable mercenary. Meanwhile, Lucas Bishop hits a bar in an attempt to persuade a returning “X” adversary to help eliminate Cable and Hope.

What’s Good: Event one-shots are something of a necessary evil. They must accomplish the rather tricky task of explaining enough about the past in order to make new readers feel welcome while at the same time advancing the story enough to satisfy longtime fans. And as far as that task is concerned, I have to consider the Messiah War one-shot to be a success. Simply put, the creative team manages to present a comic that keeps the old information from feeling stale and the new stuff from feeling too stunted. The narration and dialogue from Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost adequately sums things up by establishing what’s at stake. As for the visuals, Mike Choi and Sonia Oback do a nice job telling the story while, at times, putting forth some of the best work I’ve seen them do. Especially worth noting are the scenes featuring Deadpool, as they are almost worth the price of admission alone. Hilarious and disturbing, just like something involving the Merc with a Mouth should be.

What’s Not So Good: Despite being well handled by the creative team from both a writing standpoint and an artistic standpoint, there is no shaking the “been there, done that” feeling the first half of the one-shot gives off. It seems as though the whole section might have been better suited to being part of one of those free Saga releases so more time could be spent on advancing the War plot. In all honesty, the situation is understandable. But it still warrants a mention or else I wouldn’t be doing my job.

Conclusion: Messiah War definitely gets off to a slow start, but things pick up well enough by the time the first chapter reaches its conclusion. I look forward to seeing where things go next. Hopefully it involves more Deadpool.

Grade:  C+

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force #9 – Review

Posted on November 29, 2008 by pozzyfreak

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers), Mike Choi (Art), and Sonia Oback (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Despite the problems I have with X-Force from a continuity standpoint, I have found the series to be entertaining and visually impressive enough to keep reading. That said, I am feeling a bit let down by the latest arc. Maybe the addition of Domino will change my opinion of things…

The Story: The latest issue of X-Force juggles a number of story threads at once. One of them follows Warpath as he comes face to face with the Demon Bear and gets a little unexpected assistance from someone who knows a thing or two about taking down a demon. Another gives a brief glimpse of Wolfsbane’s current and worsening situation. The main plot however, is told through Domino’s perspective. It offers a glimpse inside the character as Vanisher informs the team about what really happened to the Legacy virus.

What’s Good: Despite jumping around all over the place in order to fit all the necessary characters into the story, X-Force #9 proves to be mostly satisfying both visually and plot-wise. Domino’s narration is a large part of the reason why. She is written in a way that benefits her (in catching people up with the character) and the team (in relation to the events taking place and her past). Great work all around by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost as far as Domino is concerned. My verdict concerning the Warpath and Wolfsbane segments is still up the air at this point, but at least they provide some nice-looking artwork. Speaking of which, props to Mike Choi and Sonia Oback for the bloody, brutal fight scene in the issue as well.

What’s Not So Good: I have two main complaints with this issue. The first is that it attempts to fit far too many things into too few pages. For example, the segments featuring Elixir, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Wolfsbane feel more like distractions than additions to the plot. The second complaint is that the artwork, while extremely nice, just doesn’t feel right for the book. While it doesn’t effect my score in any way, I feel it is worth noting. The artwork by Mike Choi and Sonia Oback just feels too…I dunno…pretty and polished.

Conclusion: While it isn’t breaking any new ground or amounting to more than the sum of its parts, X-Force is a solid, dependable source of entertainment for X-Men fans. This is continues that trend.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

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X-Force #8 – Review

Posted on November 2, 2008 by pozzyfreak

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers), Mike Choi (Art), and Sonia Oback (Color Art)

The Story: As Warpath continues his journey to his brother’s grave, the rest of the X-Force team hunts down Vanisher in an effort to recover the lethal Legacy virus. It turns out that Vanisher is quite the wanted man, as the team finds that Domino is aiming for the exact same target.

What’s Good: While Clayton Crain’s dark, gritty work is a better fit for the series, there is no denying how nice this issue looks. The violent action flows well and the characters are well done (though a bit shiny). Mike Choi and Sonia Oback make a great team.

What’s also good is the return of Domino and the way the Legacy virus has been injected into the storyline. While I have my issues with how things are playing out, I am interested in finding out where things will go from here.

What’s Not So Good: Simply put, X-Force continues to be an extremely confusing series.  There is little information regarding where the storyline might fit into current continuity, and it seems as though the very concept of the team has been completely forgotten. Angel’s storyline is a complete mess, Warpath seems completely disconnected from the team at the moment, and for a “secret” team, there sure are a lot of people aware of what X-Force is doing.

A lot of stuff is happening in this series, but not enough of it is coming together all that well.

Conclusion: X-Force entertains and frustrates in equal measure. It has interesting ideas and attractive visuals, but really it’s making a mess of things from a continuity standpoint. Average at best.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

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